Dark Desire – Chapter 3
Present Day, Shreveport, Louisiana
The air on this hot, muggy, late June night was thick and cloying as Eric stepped out of his sports car, but as a vampire, he didn't feel uncomfortable. He had just pulled into the back of Fangtasia and was getting ready to make an unannounced visit to Pam, the Sheriff of Area 5. It was purely a social visit; he missed his child and wanted to see her.
Since losing Sookie, his personal life was in the toilet. There was no joy or love in his life. He was lonely, but he would never admit to that, not even to Pam. Some nights it was an effort just to rise at dusk. On occasion, he felt he understood what made some vamps want to meet the dawn.
At first he fed on the willing stable of fangbangers who crowded into the bar or hung around court. He even indulged in sex with them, but lately he could not stand to let them touch him. Those mind-numbed robots had nothing to offer except their sick and twisted addiction to sex with a vampire, any vampire, and they made his skin crawl.
Now he drank the disgusting synthetic blood for sustenance. His rare sexual needs were now exclusively serviced by female vamps, but they were one night stands only. He knew he would ever trust a human female near him again.
At this point in his life, Pam was the only person he knew who could jolt him out of the constant miasma of unhappiness that surrounded him. Losing Sookie had almost destroyed his will to live, but Pam seemed to have no sympathy for him. She was fearless and had absolutely no hesitation in telling him to buck up and get on with his life. "No human is worth it. There are more where she came from, so get over it." she brusquely told him every time they met.
One night at the palace in New Orleans, Pam made him so angry by her sarcastic comments about his former lover that he punched a hole in the wall. Another time, he picked Pam up and threw her into the wall. She bounced back and punched him hard in the balls, but her lip was bloody. He was immediately sorry for hurting his child; he knew she only wanted what was best for him. "Why do you put up with me, Pam?" he asked her that night.
"You are my maker, Eric, and I love you. I don't like seeing you so unhappy." was her simple answer.
Tonight, after four hours of driving, stopping only for gas, Eric made it to Shreveport. He had spent the last two nights in Arkansas. He had business with the new king there. He had taken a small retinue of vampires and humans, including Jillian Brown, one of the human telepaths who worked for him now. He had listed her as his secretary. The other king had no idea of her special abilities. That came in handy, and Eric got the better of the deal.
After the business meeting was over, Jillian asked for time off to attend a family reunion. He agreed, and sent the other vampires and humans on ahead. They would be in New Orleans before daybreak tomorrow morning.
Eric wasn't that eager to get back to court yet himself. He was a good king, but he was tired of arbitrating the petty squabbles of his kindred and their companions. He was mentally exhausted by the unending demands on his time. He needed a break; he needed to relax a little before putting his nose to the grindstone again. He hit the all vampire nightclubs and bars in Little Rock. When he tired of that, he decided to make an unscheduled call on Judith Vardamon. It was an impromptu decision; he hadn't planned on visiting Bill's former lover.
When the guard at her gate announced him, he said that he was there to give Judith an update about the telepaths she had introduced to him, but frankly, he was just curious to see her house. He wanted to she how she lived. Judith could not have been more surprised that the Vampire King of Louisiana had shown up at her gate. It would have been rude and impolitic to deny him entry, so she invited him up to the house.
Judith made no bones about the fact that she didn't like Eric much, but for some strange reason he felt more comfortable around her than he did with most vampires. Perhaps it was because she didn't try to hide her feelings or suck up to him. She wasn't his subject, so perhaps she didn't feel it was necessary to pretend that she liked him. Some instinct told him that it was just her nature; she wouldn't suck up to him, even if she was his subject.
Besides his child, Pam, Judith was the only vamp who didn't seem to want anything from him. Well, that wasn't exactly true: she had negotiated Bill's freedom quite cleverly with the offer of services from her telepathic friends. She made it quite clear what she was doing. Of course, her friends benefited hugely from their contracts with him, but she never asked anything for herself.
Eric had realized during their negotiations, that while he didn't exactly like her either, Judith was an honest and honorable vampire. He didn't meet many vamps like that, and that made him curious about her. He reasoned tjat he had a right to visit her; because of her telepathic friends, they were sort of in business together.
The elegance of her home surprised him, but he was even more surprised by the wall of pictures outside her large family room. He knew she had several human lovers before and had spent quite a lot of time with humans, but he had never guessed how much. He recognized Doc Hampton right away. Judith had introduced them once long ago at Fangtasia.
Although she wasn't happy that Eric Northman had shown up at her door at such a late hour, Judith was a proper hostess and gave the King of Louisiana the courtesy that was due his position. As they were sitting in the family room, Eric said, "I see you like the dark, brooding type; Doc looked enough like Bill to be his brother. Did all your human boyfriends look like Bill?" He was honestly curious.
"You didn't come here to discuss my love life, Eric. We both know that, so why are you here?" she replied curtly.
Eric ignored her irritation. "You know, I am really curious about what makes you tick, Judith. I know you were with your human, Doc Hampton for a long time, but you had several human companions before that. Humans are generally a pitiful, ignorant lot; they are unworthy of us, so why humans; why not vampires?"
Eric's bigoted attitude annoyed her; she almost didn't answer; but she did. "If you really want to know, I believe that we vampires can only find lasting true love with a human. Even if we fall in love with another vampire, you know it can't last long without one of us becoming enthralled to the other. Even if that were not so, we seem to only feed each others worst instincts, and become more feral and barbaric. Although most of our kind would think I am crazy, I believe that it is only with a human that vampires have any chance of happiness. It is the only chance we have of retaining any humanity. Yes, it's only with a human that we have any chance of being truly happy, even though we must pay for it in the end when they die. I believe that humans are both our curse and our blessing, Eric."
Eric wasn't buying any of it. He didn't think vampires could be happy, and he didn't really believe in lasting love. The idea of any vampire wanting to retain his humanity was completely incomprehensible to him since vampires were so superior to humans.
"Why on earth would you want to do that? Retain your humanity, that is. Don't you like being vampire? Why are still friends with Bill and Sookie? Why did you give him up so easily? Aren't you angry with him? You should hate him as much as I do." Eric was perplexed, and the questions tumbled out one after the other.
"I didn't choose to be a vampire, I wish Lorena had just killed me and let me die. As to your other question; I love Bill. I know he loves me; he has since we first met, but he loves Sookie more. I know only Sookie can make him truly happy because she is human, and I am vampire. If you really loved Sookie, you would see that only Bill can make her truly happy too. I hope you leave them alone, Eric." she said quietly, but firmly
"Sookie loves me too, but I have no intention of bothering her or Bill. I will leave them alone, even though I think she can do much better than Bill Compton." he said sharply. Pain showed on his face. He is still in love with her. Judith thought. He was broadcasting his emotions loudly.
"Do you really think that, Eric? Bill defied his maker for Sookie; he would have died for her; can you say the same thing?" Her voice was just as sharp, but then it softened measurably. She totally understood his pain; she felt the same for Bill.
She continued, "I know she lovedsyou, or at least, she did. I know because I felt her emotions for you. I know it is possible to love more than one person at the same time, but love is not equal; one love is always greater."
"What do you mean?" Eric asked.
"I am an empath, Eric. I know she loved you because I felt her emotions for you the night you two quarreled in the bar; you know, the night Appius was there. But I also know she loves Bill more. She always has and always will. Neither of us ever had a ghost of a chance with those two. I can't be angry because they love each other. Bill and Sookie were meant to be together. I knew that from the first night I met her, and I think some part of you knows it too." she said.
Eric said nothing. The sight of Sookie and Bill in the cemetery after the fight proved the truth of Judith's words. The memory of how Sookie responded to Bill. the memory of their passion, and the way they called out their love for each other was etched forever on his brain. He would never forget that night as long as he lived. She can't help the fact that she loves him. Eric thought; for the first time since he lost Sookie, he felt his hatred for Bill Compton was not justified.
They were both silent for a few moments. The silence was uncomfortable and awkward for them both. Judith asked him if he had fed and he shook his head no. He was glad she changed the subject. She left the room for a few minutes and came back with two bags of blood from her store in the basement. She warmed them up in the microwave for a few seconds, palpated the bags to mix them up and gave one to him. The stored human blood tasted great. His face showed pleasant surprise.
"I only use AB negative from willing donors who are not druggies or fangbangers. My sources are aware of my likes and dislikes. They know that I would be able to tell in a minute if the donors had been coerced or are not clean in every way. I pay them a pretty penny, and they have not disappointed me yet." she explained.
"Why go through all that trouble and expense? Why not just glamour someone, or use synthetic blood? Why not just feed directly from a fangbanger? There are always so many of them around." Eric was mystified.
"Oh, I do hunt once in a while when I get the urge, but my donors are always willing. They are paid handsomely for their little donations. Of course, I glamour them so they don't remember anything. I never use fangbangers; they disgust me. I can always tell a fangbanger: their addition to us produces some hormone that taints their blood. To me a fangbanger tastes worse than the cheapest synthetic blood." Judith grimaced. Eric happened to agree with her assessment of fangbangers, but he kept his thoughts to himself.
She continued, "The arrangement I have with my suppliers is legal and it is more than satisfactory. I absolutely hate the taste of synthetic blood, I drink it only in emergencies, but one of my labs is working on a formula that would make synthetics taste more palatable, more like the real thing." The information she gave him was not common knowledge, but neither was it private. Anyone, who wanted to find out what her labs were doing, only had to search the internet or read the right reports.
"That sounds promising. Let me know if you need any financial backing." he said. He was genuinely interested in that.
Judith had no intention of allowing Eric Northman into any her businesses, so she simply said no assistance was needed at this time. They talked a little while more, then she showed him to a guest bedroom where he could retire for the day. When he cocked his eye and gave her a suggestive leer, she said. "No way, Jose! You're not my type!" and huffily walked down the hall toward her own bedroom.
When Eric stepped inside Fangtasia, Pam looked up and flew to his side. "It's good to see you, master." she said. "What brings you to my neck of the woods?"
"No particular reason. Just thought I'd stop by and see you on my way back from Little Rock. I though I'd stay the night at my house before driving back to New Orleans tomorrow night." He said as he assumed her seat on the throne in back of the bar.
The two vamps talked for a few minutes when Bill Compton walked in the door with two other vamps that Eric didn't recognize. Bill saw Eric and nodded politely to him; the three vamps sat down at a booth in the corner. Eric and Pam didn't pay any attention to them.
A half an hour later, the two new vamps got up and walked out. Bill rose and walked toward him. "I've been meaning to come down to New Orleans some time this week and see you. I have a proposition for you, but since you're here, you saved me a trip." Bill said coolly.
"Really? You have a proposition for me? What makes you think I want to hear anything you have to say, Compton?" Eric skeptically asked with a hard look on his face. He still hated Bill, even if not as much as before.
"I prefer discussing it in the office, if you don't mind." Bill replied.
"All right; let's go." Eric got up and walked toward the back.
"Eric, it's probably a trick." Pam said scornfully.
"It's all right, Pam. I want to hear what he has to say." He was at the office door and motioned Bill inside. He sat behind the desk, and Bill took the one chair in front of it.
"I have started a new business. It's a detective agency. We specialize in finding people and things for other vamps, but we also have quite a few human clients. The business is quite profitable; in fact, it's been a real money maker." Bill began.
"Why are you telling me this, Bill? You know that because of my agreement with Nyall and Judith, you are free to do what you want. You don't need my permission to start a business, so what do you want from me?" Eric demanded.
"I know I don't need your permission to start a business, and I am not asking for it. I am willing to give you a percentage of the new business, at no cost to you, but there would be certain conditions that have to be met." Bill kept his cool.
"And what would those conditions be, I wonder?" The viking offered.
"You would have to agree to protect my humans and their progeny from any harm. That agreement would have to be in perpetuity, Eric." The younger vamp said firmly.
"Your humans, as in plural? You mean you have more than one human, Bill? My, my, my. What does Sookie have to say about that?" Eric leered.
"Get your mind out of the gutter, Northman. I am talking about my human family and Sookie's family, of course."
"Your human family? I thought Jessie Compton was the last living Compton. He died several years ago, if I remember correctly."
Bill explained. "Jesse was the last living Compton; he was the grandson of my son, Thomas Compton. My daughter, Sarah, survived me, and she had a family too. Andy and Portia Bellefleur are her, great grandchildren. Now Andy has two twin boys. One of the is named William Thomas after me. They are all my family, and so are Sookie's relatives. They are all "my humans," and I claim them all, but I can't protect them all, so I am asking you to extend your protection to them as my king."
Eric was shocked by this information. He thought it was kind of ironic that the hated Bellefleurs could be descendants of Bill, but he saw all kinds of possibilities here. "But, I am not really your king, am I? So why should I do as you ask?" he said.
"I am willing to give you 25% percent of my new business venture to pay for your services. I have other lucrative business concerns that I am willing to share with you as well. Money is of no consequence to me. I would gladly give you 25% percent of all of my businesses, in order to protect my humans. All you have to do is sit back and let the money roll in." Bill answered.
That perked Eric's ears up; he was definitely interested. Bill was resourceful and a good businessman in his own right. Any business Compton was in had to be very profitable, but he wasn't going make it easy on the vampire who stole Sookie from him. "Sounds interesting. What about Sookie? Where does she come into this? Does she know what you are doing?" Eric asked slyly.
"Sookie is my wife! She is off limits, Northman! I will not barter her to protect my other family!" Bill shot up from the chair and started to walk out the door.
"Calm down, Bill. That's not what I meant. Look, I did not expect this. I have to think about what you've said for a while. I was going to go back to New Orleans tomorrow night, but I think I will stick around for a few days. I'll give you a call while I am here and let you know what I have decided." Eric stood up signaling the discussion was over.
Bill nodded and walked out of the office. He paid his tab at the bar and left.
The next evening was a Saturday night. Sookie and Bill were at home babysitting the twins, Billy and Andy Jr. Halleigh called Sookie earlier that day to ask if they would watch the boys while she and Andy had a long awaited "Date Night." Both parents felt their love life needed a little spicing up, and they definitely needed some time alone. Bill and Sookie always jumped at every chance they could to babysit, so she said yes.
The Bellefleurs dropped the little boys off about seven. The twins were a year old now, trying to walk and active as hell. They were into everything. They kept both Bill and Sookie busy running after them. After feeding them, Sookie handed both boys to Bill who sat on a rocking chair in the living room and rocked them to sleep while he sang an old lullaby. He was sitting with the two babies sleeping in his arms when Eric knocked on the door.
Sookie opened the door and stepped aside. Eric took one step, but he couldn't enter the house. "What the...!" he said in surprise. He never had any problem entering another vampire's home before.
"Oops, I forgot. You may come in, Eric." Sookie laughed self-consciously. She took the babies upstairs, one by one, and put them to bed in the nursery they had made out of the smallest upstairs bedroom.
Eric sat down on the sofa. "What was that all about, Compton? How come I couldn't enter your house?" he asked curiously.
"It's Sookie's house now too. I put her name on the deed. Everything I own is half hers. Everything is in both our names now. She is my wife and we are partners in everything. Since she's human, you needed her permission to enter." Bill explained.
Eric had never heard of another vampire giving half of his wealth to a human. It just wasn't done. He looked at Bill as if he had truly gone crazy. Bill only smiled.
"Well, this is all very domestic and very human, Bill." Eric said. "Are the tiny humans your great, great, great grandchildren? Say, Sookie; how do you like being being a grandmother before the age of thirty? A three times great grandmother at that!" He sarcastically asked her as she came back down after putting the last baby to bed.
"I love Little Billy and Andy Jr, and I like it just fine, Eric." She answered hotly, "Bill and I are teaching them to call us Uncle Bill and Aunt Sookie. It will be a lot easier than having to explain our complicated relationship. It's just a lot simpler that way."
"I didn't expect you here tonight, Eric. I thought you were going to call me." Bill said darkly.
"Oh, don't get your knickers in a knot, Bill. I have to go back to New Orleans tonight as something quite unexpected arose. I thought about your offer, and I have a counter offer for you, so I decided to drop by before I left Shreveport." Eric laughed.
"Go on." Bill said.
"Well first of all: do you know that Judith Vardamon is working on a formula to improve the taste of synthetic blood? I want part of that venture too. If I am right, you are helping her fund the research. Are you one of her partners, Bill?" the viking asked.
"Yes, Sookie and I own 49% of Judith's research venture; she owns 51% and has controlling interest. I don't think she wants any other partners, though." the younger vamp stated.
"I am not greedy. I only want 25%of of your detective agency and 25% of Judith's synthetic blood research venture. I am not interested in your other businesses, nor hers, but there is one thing else that I want. This demand is the most important of all to me, and it is non-negotiable: I want you to swear your fealty to me as well." Eric boldly said.
Sookie gasped when she heard that. "No, Bill. Don't do it. He's asking too much. Don't pledge yourself to him again! Don't get involved in his world again!" She was sitting on the sofa beside him.
Bill was quiet for several long moments. He took Sookie's hand and kissed it. "I cannot speak for Judith, she has the final say, and she may say no. But if both she and Sookie agree, I am willing to split our 49% percent fifty-fifty with you. If they both agree, you will own 24.5% of the venture on the condition that if more funding is needed, you will put up your share without hesitation."
He continued. "I have other demands, Eric, and these demands are also non-negotiable:
1. Sookie is not a part of this deal or any other arrangement we may enter into later. Sookie no longer has her telepathic gift, so she is of no use to you or any other vampire. To protect my family and Sookie's, I will readily pledge my fealty to you, but only on the condition that Sookie does not have to pledge fealty to you and never will.
2. Even in the unlikely event her telepathy returns, she will never have to work for you again.
3. You must swear an oath never to bother her in anyway, but you must swear to protect her with your life.
4. You must swear to protect all of my humans and their progeny. That includes both my family and Sookie's.
5. You will swear that you will not try to interfere with Sookie and me in any way. Any assignment you give me must be related to our common business interests only, unless I agree otherwise. And if I choose, I can refuse any assignment you give me with no penalty what-so-ever. You will not send me on useless errands like you did before."
"If you can agree to these terms, Eric, you have a deal." Bill said.
"You drive a hard bargain, Bill, but I accept. Do you need our lawyers to draw up a contract for your review?" Eric replied readily. He had been prepared to settle for a lot less, and he was more than thrilled with the outcome.
Bill Compton was a money maker; he was intelligent and capable, but more than that, he was honorable man. When he worked for him before, Eric had never doubted Bill's loyalty. He only wished that all of his subjects were that way. He definitely liked the idea of Bill working for him again, so as far as Eric was concerned, he definitely got the better of the deal.
"No. That won't be necessary, Eric. But know this, if you break your word in anyway, the deal is off. Do we agree?"
Eric nodded and the two vamps shook hands. When Eric drove away, he was whistling.